The present invention is related to the field of interfaces between data users and a data infrastructure such as a computer network in a building or company.
In traditional information technology (IT) installations, the connection between a user, such as an office occupant with a personal computer, and the broader network with its resources such as file servers, printers, etc., is realized by a cable extending between a wall jack in the user's office and centrally-located interface equipment such as multiplexers, switches, or the like. In order for a user to obtain any information about the network and its resources, referred to herein as the “data infrastructure”, it is necessary that this connection between the user's computer and the centralized resource be working properly. If the connection to the user is not working, the user is typically required to contact IT maintenance personnel and wait for the problem to be diagnosed and corrected. Such a situation increases the demand on IT support organizations and contributes to decreased user productivity.
Additionally, in many IT installations the functional interface between the data infrastructure and user connection points is very rigidly defined. For example, the interface may operate according to a specific high-level network protocol, such as Novell®, that the user's computer does not support. As a result, a user whose computer does not conform to the functional requirements of the interface, such as a traveling user with a portable computer configured for a different network type, may be unable to connect to the data infrastructure, or may be prevented from making full use of its capabilities.
It is desirable to reduce the demand on IT support resources, and to enable user equipment to more readily interface to data infrastructures having different functional capabilities and requirements.